John Chrastka - Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding

ALA Neal-Schuman purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.

2017 Patrick PC Sweeney and John Chrastka

Extensive effort has gone into ensuring the reliability of the information in this book; however, the publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.

ISBNs

978-0-8389-1556-1 (paper)

978-0-8389-1576-9 (PDF)

978-0-8389-1577-6 (ePub)

978-0-8389-1578-3 (Kindle)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sweeney, Patrick PC, author. | Chrastka, John, author.

Title: Winning elections and influencing politicians for library funding / Patrick PC Sweeney, John Chrastka ; foreword by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich.

Description: Chicago : Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and .

Identifiers: LCCN 2016059387| ISBN 9780838915561 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780838915776 (ePub) | ISBN 9780838915769 (PDF) | ISBN 9780838915783 (Kindle)

Subjects: LCSH: Library financePolitical aspectsUnited States. | Library fund raisingPolitical aspectsUnited States. | Libraries and communityPolitical aspectsUnited States. | Political campaignsUnited States. | Communication in politicsUnited States.

Classification: LCC Z683.2.U6 S94 2017 | DDC 021.8/30973dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016059387

• Libraries are essential.
• Funding for libraries cannot be left to chance.
• It is not enough that people love us. We must be strategic. Focused. Savvy. Willing to play the game that others will play in opposition to an increase in taxes.
• We must play the game or be played.

At the Mid-Hudson Library System, a decade ago we began a project called Getting to Yes, to ensure that libraries in New York could take full advantage of the opportunity to go directly to the voters to ask them, how much should your tax for library services be? That is a brave question, one that tests the limits of loyalty to the philosophy of a public library in the most concrete of ways. We learned very quickly that there is science behind winning, and methodical steps that need to be taken to ensure success at the polls.

We learned a new way of thinking as we created our Public Library Vote Toolbox (http://vote.midhudson.org), a resource focused on helping libraries to get out the vote. After working on over one hundred campaigns I have learned to never leave a vote to chance, to focus on a deliberate strategy that moves from education of the community about the impact of a win or loss at the polls, to motivate people to come out and vote, and to the very deliberate and strategic identification and mobilization of actual yes voters.

This is a different skill set than most librarians, trustees, and Friends groups have. We are steeped in professional values that speak to the ideal that libraries are for all: access, democracy, and social responsibility. We work hard to ensure egalitarian library service. We are not political strategists at heart; we are public servants. Our inherent skill set does not always translate to the hard-nosed tactics it will take to win at the polls, particularly in the face of an organized opposition to our efforts.

Make no mistake, in many communities across the country this will be a fight. You are going into battle.

EveryLibrary has stepped up to arm the national library community with proven, battle-tested tactics that work. They are doing the legwork to understand what actions translate into winning strategies not only from within the library community but beyond it. Will these actions ensure success every time? No. That is not the world we operate in. There are many variables and hyper-local issues that will come into play. However, using a campaign mentality that gives structure and direction to the work that needs to be done will give libraries an advantage. It will mean you can stand on the shoulders of those who have come before you, learning from their triumphs and failures. Why wouldnt you take all the help you could get to ensure your library can meet the needs of your community?

Thank you for picking up this book. The tactics you will find contained within it may be a wake-up call to you, revealing the true work it will take to win in your community. Read the whole damn thing. You need as many tools in your toolbox as possible, and think through all the anglesleave nothing to chance.

I always say to the libraries I consult with: No regrets. You want no regrets the day after the vote if your vote goes down. Many libraries have one chance, just one chance to change the course of history for their community through a library building referendum or major change in the foundational funding formula of their library. The morning after the vote, win or lose, you want to know that you left no stone unturned, that you missed no opportunity to influence, motivate, and mobilize. It can come down to a handful of votes in some close races and when that handful is not in your librarys favor, that is not a loss. That is a failure on the part of your campaign. Harsh? Maybe, but its the truth. A handful of votes is a few more phone calls, a few more one-on-one conversations, one more community meeting before the vote. Go all out. Make It Happen.

Every time a library wins at the polls it provides hope that our society is moving in the right direction. Every time a library wins at the polls it reinforces the importance, the deep-seated devotion that Americans feel towards an institution that ensures that all have access to information, literacy, and community. If thats not worth fighting for, Im not sure what is.

As the EveryLibrary tagline states: Any library initiative anywhere matters to every library everywhere.

I wish you luck on your journey. Remember, we are all counting on you.

REBEKKAH SMITH ALDRICH

Coordinator for Library Sustainability

Mid-Hudson Library System, New York

We are grateful to our EveryLibrary team for their help, support, and encouragement in writing this book, especially to our EveryLibrary cofounder Erica Findley and our 2014 intern Rachel Korman. Ericas insights, ethics, and campaign work permeate this book, and Rachel provided invaluable early edits and insights for several sections. Our board colleagues Peter Bromberg, Mel Gooch, Brian Hart, and Lindsay Sarin are true partners in the work and have shaped our approach to campaigns and campaigning.

Special thanks to Rebekkah Smith Aldrich for providing the Foreword. We admire her work on New York library campaigns and are inspired by her.

We have learned as much as we taught from the more than sixty library communities we have helped take to the ballot. We truly appreciate the partnerships that developed between us and campaign teams around the country. It has been a joy to help folks in small towns and big cities campaign for their libraries. We are most grateful to them all for their volunteer commitment and dedication to their libraries. They are democracy in action.

This book would not have been possible without the help and support of our EveryLibrary Advisory Committee members, and our vendor and individual donors and supporters. Their faith and their investment in our work is hopefully getting a good return for libraries.